Talking at Night: A Novel

Content Warning: The source material and this guide reference body image struggles, anti-gay bias, suicide, and addiction to alcohol.

Will is the dual protagonist of the story, initially characterized as a tough, brooding teenage boy with a casual attitude toward school and authority. Despite his rebellious personality, Will is fiercely loyal to his family, his grandmother and sister Amber, and to his friends like Josh, whom he helps with math work. Unlike most of his classmates, Will has no plans to attend college and no vision for his future. The text describes his laissez-faire attitude: “[…] he doesn’t know anything about how things are going to go. He plans for the next day, the next weekend. The next part he needs for his bike” (19). Beneath his tough exterior, Will hides his struggles with depression and guilt from his past. There’s a rumor Will bruised his face beating up a kid in the bathroom, but he actually harmed himself as a result of the trauma of his mother’s abandonment and his grief over his grandfather’s death, highlighting The Challenges of Complex Family Dynamics and Relationships. His unresolved trauma leads him to develop an addiction to alcohol and a criminal record.